In death, Rosa Parks is joining a select few, including presidents and war heroes, accorded a public viewing in the Capitol Rotunda of Washington D.C.. It's the place where, six years ago, President Clinton and congressional leaders lauded the former seamstress for a simple act of defiance that changed the course of race relations.

That was the sort of influence Rosa Parks has on our nation. While race relations are far from perfect today, they are much better thanks to Parks' courage to not give up her seat to a man on a bus in 1955 in Montgomery, Ala. simply because she was African American.

Parks turned to her minister, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., for aid. King in turn led a 381-day boycott of the city's bus system that helped initiate the modern civil rights movement.

Many born after 1955 take integration in buses, bathrooms, schools, the workplace and several other areas for granted.

Parks not only was an influence in the movement to desegregate. She also reminded us the importance of standing up for a cause, simply because it is the right thing to do.

One of the most exciting things about history is we can use past events and learn from them. Parks refusing to give up her seat on the bus teaches us there are times an act is so injust that we should be willing to stand up to authority and face the consequences.

When Parks needed help, she turned to the right person. King's boycott showed that individually, none of us have much chance to make a major change. However, when we ban together, we can make a difference and change the world.